Dark, merciless, grand, and cruel—this is how most Druchii perceive Naggarond. Dozens of spires pierce the sky, and hundreds of black structures stand near the city walls. Countless city guards patrol the ancient walls of this millennia-old city. At its heart, a massive tower made entirely of obsidian reaches into the clouds—the Black Tower of the Witch King, a symbol of Malekith's power and authority.
As the messenger approached Naggarond's towering walls, a mix of relief and panic washed over him. He knew what Naggarond meant to the dark elves: wealth, status, indulgence, pleasure, bloodshed, and danger.
Unlike the high elves, who at least maintained a facade of democracy, dark elf society was rigidly structured into five tiers: the Witch King and Witch Queen, the Dreadlords, the military nobility, the freemen, and the slaves. Only in the rarest of circumstances could a slave rise in status, and even then, the only path to advancement was through the "Chain of Ascension." A lower-ranking individual could challenge their superior if certain conditions were met, and the superior was obligated to accept. If the challenger succeeded, they would rise in rank.
Thus, most dark elves lived in a constant state of vigilance and indulgence, as no one could predict what the next moment might bring. Intricate threats and endless courtly intrigues meant that anyone could rise to power or fall from grace in an instant.
Of course, over the millennia, no one had ever successfully challenged Malekith, Morathi, or Hellebron, the Bride of Khaine.
As the messenger approached Naggarond, he found that Malekith was absent. The Witch King had entrusted his trusted general, Tullaris, to lead the vanguard in the assault on Ulthuan, seeking to avenge Finubar's death and destroy the high elves. Meanwhile, Malekith's whereabouts were unknown.
In charge of Naggarond's defense was Kouran Darkhand, the captain of Malekith's personal guard, the Black Guard of Naggarond. Over a thousand years old, Kouran had served as the Black Guard captain for more than four centuries. He had brutally slain his predecessor in the Chain of Ascension and had since defeated seventeen challengers.
The messenger was relieved to see that, even in Malekith's absence and with Tullaris having taken a significant portion of the army, Naggarond still retained a formidable military force. Tens of thousands of Druchii soldiers stood ready, and the city's war potential was immense. However, before he could even smile, he was seized by a group of Black Guards.
"Our northern defenses have fallen. Everyone has been killed or routed," the messenger reported to Kouran Darkhand, his voice trembling with fear. "A massive Chaos army—barbarians, monsters, beastmen, and other abominations—has surged from the north. Their assault was frenzied and relentless. Our forces fought valiantly but were overwhelmed. Within hours, our outer strongholds were lost. Gigantic Chaos beasts and mammoths smashed through our walls. We..."
"Continue," Kouran's voice was as cold as ice.
The northern defenses had been breached so easily, and Naggarond was only now receiving the news. As the messenger recounted the tale, Kouran remained expressionless.
It wasn't until the messenger described the appearance of a winged, horned, hoofed queen bathed in blood that Kouran finally showed a reaction. "The Blood Queen."
"Yes, the Blood Queen."
"Take him to rest and eat, then equip him," Kouran said calmly after hearing the full story. "We may soon face a siege."
"The enemy approaches. In the name of the Witch King, the city is under martial law. Defend our city, defend all that is Druchii," the Black Guard captain declared, his cold, emotionless voice carrying an iron will that inspired confidence.
The entire city's military was mobilized. Naggarond's gates were sealed, and the eternal flames of Khaine burned brightly as hundreds of regiments took their positions on the walls.
Every dark elf was ready.
"For the Witch King!"
"For Naggarond, for the Witch King!" Waves of roars echoed from the walls, starting as whispers, then growing into chants, and finally erupting into full-throated shouts. Loyalty, courage, hatred, and resilience.
This was the Druchii!
Valkia the Bloody, leading the Chaos tide, had never expected to encounter such fierce resistance in her assault on Naggaroth.
Tens of thousands of barbarian troops had once breached Har Ganeth and penetrated deep into the city. Desperate Druchii, invoking the name of Khaine, unleashed a ferocity that surpassed even the barbarian warriors and Chaos champions under Valkia's command. When Hellebron, the Bride of Khaine, emerged from the Blood Cauldron, restored to youth and beauty, the local warriors' thirst for slaughter even outmatched the northern invaders. The besieging barbarians were soon driven back.
Valkia clashed twice with Kouran Darkhand in champion duels, but neither could gain the upper hand. The Chaos army's prolonged siege of Naggarond yielded no results. A portion of the Chaos forces moved south but were ambushed by Malekith's personal champion, Malus Darkblade, and his Hag Graef army. The ruthless Hag Graef forces annihilated the besieging Chaos army, but Malus refused to aid Naggarond.
The dark elves' mindset was unlike any other. For Malus, his duty was solely to defend his own territory. No one but Malekith could command him, and deep down, Malus would have been pleased to see the Witch King, Kouran, and Naggarond all fall.
In short, the Dreadlords and noble councilors were all anxious, all waiting.
Everyone hoped the Witch King would return to take charge, but everyone feared his wrath if he did.
Only when the situation became untenable, when Malekith realized he could not afford to lose Naggarond and sought their aid, would the Dreadlords act, ensuring they reaped the greatest benefits.
The siege lasted three months, until Malekith finally returned. Riding his black dragon, Seraphon, the Witch King arrived just as Naggarond teetered on the brink of collapse. In a legendary champion duel, Malekith personally slew Valkia, lifting the siege of Naggarond.
But by then, Naggaroth was in ruins. The fires of war had burned for three months, and the scattered remnants of the Chaos army, numbering in the tens of thousands, continued to ravage the land. Despite his urgency, Malekith had no choice but to order all dark elf forces attacking Ulthuan to return immediately.
He had to drive the accursed barbarians out of Naggaroth first.
At the same time, Malekith knew that even in death, Valkia was not truly gone. The Bride of Khorne had merely returned to her husband's side. Within a year or two, she would return to the mortal world.
It was then that Malekith learned of a new Dreadlord rising in the ancient city of Quintex. She had quickly amassed a following, openly gathering many of Morathi's dissidents. Dozens of sorceresses had joined her ranks, seeking her protection.
"Interesting. I will formally recognize her as a Dreadlord for now. The priority is to eradicate the barbarians. Let her enjoy her moment of glory."
... I am the dividing line of glorious moments ...
After three months of relentless assault, Valkia the Bloody met her end at the gates of Naggarond. Yet the Chaos tide showed no signs of abating, forcing the dark elves to focus all their efforts on defense.
Meanwhile, the Old World grew increasingly bleak.
By September 2521, the Empire's situation had become dire and hopeless.
After extricating himself from the political turmoil following his nephew's death, Emperor Karl Franz spent every day rushing across the Empire, stabilizing the political landscape and suppressing his opponents. The appearance of the twin-tailed comet in the sky had initially filled the people with hope, but it also signaled an unprecedented trial for humanity.
As the comet grew brighter, dark omens began to emerge. A legendary Beastmen Bray-Shaman, Malagor the Dark Omen, had appeared in the Drakwald Forest. Leading a massive warherd, Malagor destroyed villages and performed dark rituals, vowing to bring doom to the Empire.
Travelers, merchant caravans, and patrols vanished in the Drakwald, and travel routes were nearly severed.
The Emperor ordered Middenheim to organize an army, but Boris Todbringer, still grieving the loss of his wife and two sons, had lost all will to fight. The Elector Count had completely withdrawn from leadership. In his place, Gregor Martak, the Supreme Patriarch of the Amber College, took charge. After two months of reconnaissance, Martak confirmed the presence of Malagor.
However, Karl Franz soon realized that the announcement had done more harm than good. The Empire was too weak to muster an army to deal with the Beastmen threat. A terrible plague spread across the land, and mutations began to appear not only in the filthy gardens of the cities but also among the wealthy. The poor, swayed by the whispers of the Dark Gods, marched north to the Chaos Wastes in search of divine revelation, while others suffered in fear and pain.
Many nobles fled south to Nuln, seeking refuge with Baron Frederic and his "miracles," which were said to combat the plague.
Karl Franz received fifty bottles of "Terra Ecclesiastical Holy Water" from Balthasar Gelt and quickly distributed them. The "Great Virtuous Teacher's" remedy was indeed effective, but for the tens of thousands afflicted, fifty bottles were a drop in the ocean. Within days, as the holy water ran out, greater discontent and conspiracy theories spread through the streets of Altdorf.
Meanwhile, the merchants of Marienburg seized the opportunity to amass wealth, selling "Gelt's Elixir" and "Wood Elf Secret Medicine" at exorbitant prices. Most of these so-called remedies were nothing more than colored water, spoiled ale, or fruit juice.
The Emperor was sorely tempted to send troops into Marienburg to punish these profiteers, but now was not the time. The High Priestess of Shallya in Altdorf informed the Emperor that even the Goddess of Mercy could do little against the plague.
By October, a bittersweet piece of news finally reached Altdorf.
Boris Todbringer had named an heir: his nephew, Wolfgang Todbringer, was to be escorted by a contingent of Panther Knights and a Middenheim army to Carroburg, where he would be placed under the protection of Duke Brückner and the Carroburg forces.
However, Wolfgang fell ill along the way. A doctor claiming to cure his ailment administered treatment, and within days, Wolfgang was dead. The doctor was revealed to be a member of the Nurgle cult, the "Children of Misfortune."
This second blow finally spurred Boris into action. The Elector Count at last realized how much his despair and inaction had allowed the Chaos cults to thrive and how much suffering his people had endured. After more than a year of withdrawal, Boris resumed his duties, reclaiming control of Middenheim and Middenland.
Middenheim declared martial law, cracking down on Chaos cultists and profiteering merchants. Order was restored to the city.
Before the Emperor could take solace in this news, two dire reports arrived from the Empire's north and within Reikland itself.
After their defeat at Praag, the Chaos forces had regrouped. The city was on the brink of falling, and the combined forces of Bretonnia's northern army, Kislevite troops, and the armies of Ostland and Ostermark were collapsing.
"The Empire cannot stand idly by!" Karl Franz knew well the bravery, loyalty, and knightly virtues of the Bretonnians, as well as the valor, tenacity, and fearlessness of the Kislevites. If even they could not hold back the Chaos tide, then Ostland and Ostermark, still reeling from the last invasion, stood no chance.
"Immediately send orders to Grand Duke Theodoric Gausser of Nordland and Baron Aldebrand Ludenhof of Hochland to muster their forces. They must reinforce the Kislevites and Bretonnians before the situation collapses!"
"Yes!" The messenger hurried off.
Another report arrived: Reikland's grain harvest had decreased by 20-25% this year.
"By Sigmar's hammer..."
Meanwhile, also in October.
Having recovered from recent events, the Sun King Ryan was inspecting the harvest in Mousillon.
Without his personal maid Olica, Ryan still felt somewhat unaccustomed. Now, standing behind him were Morgiana, the Lady of the Lake, and Queen Sulia.
Of course, Morgiana had taken to wearing various maid outfits in private, which Ryan found both amusing and stimulating.
After Olica's departure, Morgiana had taken on the duties of the dark elf maid. The Lady of the Lake was now inseparable from Ryan, while the Lady of the Lake, Lileath, had temporarily left Mousillon for Parravon, where she was to meet with the Wood Elf Queen, Ariel.
Incidentally, Devonshire had gone as well.
This year's harvest in Bretonnia was another bountiful one, with yields matching or even exceeding previous years by 10-15%.
"Calard and the others have reached Erengrad," Ryan said to Sulia. The Sun King was deeply troubled, as he remained stuck at the threshold of demigodhood, unable to find the key to advancement.
Ryan was now certain that the Primarchs' ability to ascend to demigodhood was due to the Emperor's prior arrangements with the Chaos Gods and the preparation of the necessary "Warp essence."
Just as Ryan had obtained a portion from Be'lakor, it was far from enough.
Unfortunately, the Emperor had no more "essence" to give Ryan, which was why he couldn't advance to demigodhood. This also explained why, after losing all the Primarchs, the Emperor couldn't create new ones. The Emperor was not a god—at least not before ascending to the Golden Throne—and his essence had been obtained through deals with the Chaos Gods.
Lileath had offered to elevate Ryan to demigodhood, but this would have made him her subordinate deity, which Ryan could not accept. He hadn't asked Olica either, as he couldn't become her subordinate either.
So, where else could Ryan obtain "essence"? Even tainted essence would do, as Ryan could purify it.
The Sun King faced a significant dilemma. The only deities he could interact with were those of Order. He couldn't become a subordinate deity, nor could he harm or kill Order deities at this critical juncture. He also couldn't rely on time to slowly accumulate Warp essence.
This sense of helplessness pained Ryan, but he soon realized he wasn't entirely without options.
As the End Times approached, some supreme beings would be forced to manifest, while others would fall, much like the Pale Queen.
What Ryan needed to do was wait and seize the right moment.
What moment?
Ryan remembered that the infamous Beastmen warlord, Morghur, contained within him the essence of several elven deities and the direct influence of the Chaos Gods!
He set his sights on Morghur.
Morghur, when will you appear?
At the same time, a massive, 900-kilometer-long retreat—a disaster and an epic in its own right—was unfolding across Kislev!
All factions have now entered the main storyline of the End Times. As requested, I will condense non-essential plot points, summarizing where possible. Let me know if you prefer more detailed narratives or concise summaries. Your feedback is appreciated!
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